1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a sensor provided for detecting a side-on collision of a vehicle.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-228213, filed Aug. 4, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
When a sensor for detecting a collision of a vehicle (e.g., an acceleration sensor) is mounted on a vehicle's body, it is necessary to exclude the influence of deformation in the vicinity of the portion to which the sensor is attached, as much as possible, so as to secure required sensing performance. Therefore, generally, such a sensor is attached to a portion having high rigidity in the vehicle body. For example, in order to mount a sensor for detecting a side-on collision of a vehicle, there are known structures such as (i) a structure for attaching a sensor to a side sill which forms a closed-section structure at an outer portion of the vehicle body in the width (direction) of the vehicle (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H10-029500), and (ii) a structure for attaching a sensor to a rear wheel arch section which also forms a closed-section structure at an outer portion of the vehicle body in the width of the vehicle (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-080451).
Therefore, when mounting a sensor for detecting a side-on collision of a vehicle, the sensor may be attached to a side sill or a rear wheel arch section. However, there are vehicles having a structure in which a side sill is provided at the exterior of the vehicle, and the position of the side sill is lower than that of the floor panel so as to create a flush structure between the lower edge of a door opening and the floor of the vehicle. In this case, when a sensor is mounted to the side sill, the sensor is attached to the exterior of the vehicle. This is not preferable.